I turned 45 in June. I have this tradition – when possible – of not being in Belgium for my birthday. From Sweden in 2013 to the Châteaux of the Loire Valley in 2014, Lake Orta in 2015, Rome in 2016, London in 2018, North Carolina and Virginia in 2019, England in 2022, and Rotterdam…
Tag: European Union
LITHUANIA | Railway Museum and Rail Park in Vilnius
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It…
ILGA-Europe warns of growing rollback of LGBTI rights in European Union candidate countries
A new enlargement review published by the LGBTQIA+ advocacy organisation ILGA-Europe and regional network ERA – LGBTI Equal Rights Association for Western Balkans and Turkey warns that several countries seeking membership of the European Union are experiencing a significant deterioration in the protection of LGBTI rights.
European airport passenger traffic dips for first time since COVID recovery as disruptions mount
For the first time since Europe’s air travel rebound began in April 2021, passenger traffic at European airports fell by 0.7% in April compared to last year, according to Airport Council International Europe (ACI Europe)’s latest report. The decline, though small, underscores growing challenges for travellers, from geopolitical tensions to industrial action and border control…
Italy welcomes more than 185 million visitors as tourism surges 7.1% in record year 2025
Italy’s tourism industry reached another historic milestone in 2025, with more than 185 million arrivals recorded across the country as international demand for Italian culture, cities, beaches and cuisine continued to grow strongly. New figures from the Italian Interior Ministry’s ‘Alloggiati Web’ system show that total arrivals increased by 7.1% compared with 2024, rising from…
LATVIA | 1.5 days in Riga
August 2025. We’re travelling to the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and more specifically their respective capitals Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Are they interconnected by rail? Yes, but not in the most straightforward or userfriendly way possible. The Rail Baltica project should remedy this. Unsurprisingly though, this megaproject faces political and budgetary hurdles. It…
European Parliament approves new regulation to upgrade cross-border railway capacity coordination
The European Parliament has given its final approval to the Regulation on the Use of Railway Infrastructure Capacity in the Single European Railway Area, a landmark decision set to transform rail transport across the continent.
8.7 billion rail trips in Europe in 2024 as Switzerland is best of class and Belgium’s data remain unavailable
In 2024, Europe’s rail networks experienced unprecedented demand, with passengers embarking on 8.7 billion trips, accumulating a total of 444.5 billion passenger-kilometres. This surge marked a new record, eclipsing the previous peak of 400 billion passenger-kilometres set in 2019.
PASSENGER PACKAGE | Why the EU’s new rail passenger package is proving so controversial
The European Commission wants to make international train travel in Europe much simpler. Its newly unveiled Passenger Package promises easier booking, stronger passenger rights and more seamless cross-border journeys. In theory, the reforms could finally bring European rail travel closer to the convenience passengers already expect from air travel.
NORWAY | Tourism breaks record with 40.6 million guest nights in 2025
Tourism in the Kingdom of Norway reached new heights in 2025 and continued growing into early 2026, as rising numbers of international travellers headed north for fjords, mountain landscapes, Arctic adventures and cooler summer temperatures. The country recorded its strongest tourism year ever, driven particularly by foreign visitors, with hotels, camping sites and holiday accommodation…